After The Storm
by Heart Torn Out
Summary: First part in the New Avengers series. Read Teenage Dirtbag first please! Anyway, this is the origin story to Carmen, Tony and Steve's daughter. All the shenanigans from how they came to have to how she got a reactor in her chest. A good read that includes the other kids and Avengers. I really hope you guys like it!
1. New York State Of Mind

**So. I said to several people who privately messaged me that I was going to continue with the Teenage Dirtbag Series. Except I was going to give all the new Kid Avengers their own back stories. Each one will be about eh, like, six chapters long. And then they'll all converge together in one main fic where I'll introduce an old character who'll be kinda sorta new.**

**Anyway, this is the Steve/Tony installment about Carmen's past. It will include what happened in the summer she turned 16, no worries. Many of you were interested in that.**

**So. **

**Let the reading begin!  
**

**Current Song: Explode by Patrick Stump**

**Current Thought: I'm gonna bang out as much of this story as I fucking can.**

* * *

**After The Storm**

"… _after the storm, we run and run as the rains come, and I look up. I look up. On my knees and out of luck, I look up…"_

No one told him there were other universes.

Ok.

Wait a minute, that's a lie. Several people told him, just not people that he could take their word for it. Like, Richards told him. A lot. But it was _Richards_. So. And Bruce had _mentioned_ it, but he'd been hanging out with Reed a bit too much for any of their liking, so Tony thought that he was just taking the babble home.

And then the portals had appeared out of nowhere and Steve had fucking _jumped_ into one and Tony had gone after Steve because, well, he was kind of flying Steve around at the moment and it was _Steve_ for heaven's sake. Of course Tony was going to jump into a portal right after his husband.

And now, here he is, with Steve nowhere to be found mind you, and he has no idea what he's looking at.

Ok.

Correction. He knows exactly what he's looking at. A woman. A pregnant woman to be precise, and she has his arc reactor imbedded in her chest, and she has Howard's eyes and his mother's mouth and shit. Shit. What the hell is going on because she has his attitude and part of his armor on her hand because he just landed in his own fucking workshop, thanks very much, _and where the hell is Steve?_

"Where's Steve?" Tony asks, growls and the woman growls right back, "I was about to ask the same question. He's heard the crash, he should be here by now." Her mouth curls up into a grin he's used to seeing in the mirror. "Old man's getting slow. Can't blame him."

"How the hell do you know Steve?" Tony asks.

"I'm _married_ to him," she snarls.

"No, I'm pretty sure _I_ am," Tony throws back. They stare each other down until _two_ Steves run through the door; one is in uniform, the other in jeans and an old t-shirt.

So. Shit just got weird. Well, _weirder._ Whatever.

* * *

"So… You're the chick version of me. Huh. Natasha?"

"People call me Toni."

"With an 'i'?"

"What are you Anthony? Tony with a 'y'?"

Tony stares at her, his uniformed Steve coming to stand by him, Toni's Steve standing by her. "What the hell? Did you get an injection of pregnancy hormones in the two second we've-"

She moans, screams more like and hangs onto her Steve who swears. And that's when Tony realizes. It's too quiet. JARVIS hasn't spoken yet. Where the hell is everyone? And Toni and Other Steve look beat up and tired.

"Ok… what the hell did we just walk in on?" Tony asks.

"Tony," Steve warns, his Steve mind you.

"No. What. Is. Going. On?"

"She's going into labor," Other Steve says.

"And?" his Steve asks gently.

"…the world is… kind of… ending…" Toni says between heavy breaths and more moans.

"The other Avengers?" Tony asks with no hope at all.

"Dead," Other Steve says. "It's just us." He picks up Toni, holds her close and walks her over to the cot in the corner of the room.

Tony and his Steve follow, Steve taking off his cowl, Tony placing his helmet off to the side. "So, what? No hospitals?"

"No other civilization in New York. Maybe even in the whole of the U.S. Maybe the world," Other Steve says with a sigh, his face tight with worry as his wife swears her way through contractions and tries unsuccessfully to break his hand as she squeezes. "We just don't know. Won't matter in a few hours though."

"What?" Tony almost shrieks. Five hours. Five hours the portals would open back up and take them home. What if they didn't make it?

"Why?" his Steve asks calmly, kneeling besides Toni and giving her his hand to hold for her other one. She smiles weakly, gratefully.

"Because the world is about to explode."

* * *

It's been two hours since Toni went into labor, since Other Steve told them that the Avengers had strategically set up A-Bombs and H-bombs and Nukes around the world to detonate at the same time to get rid of the alien infestation indigenous to their particular universe.

There are only three hours left before they go off.

Tony doesn't understand how his female self could ever have thought of bringing a child into a dying world. He'd never have done that had he been the one in her position.

But she's cursing and Tony's on hand-holding duty because hell, they'd mind as well help. As Other Steve goes and runs for more water, his Steve tells her to push again. She screams and Tony thinks that maybe she succeeded in breaking _his _hand.

"Shit shit shit shit," she swears and she's crying and thank God Tony was born a boy. Thank. God.

"Anything?" he asks his Steve.

"The head and shoulders. Come on Toni, just a little bit-" The room shakes. Other Steve doesn't come back down.

Toni grits her teeth and pushes. "Shit," she says between clenched teeth. "They're here."

Tony doesn't need to ask who she's talking about. Other Steve gave them a run down on just how brutal these aliens were. Tony's not too keen on meeting them. Toni looks like she isn't either.

"I think they have him – FUCK!" she yells and she's squeezing and Steve has this look of enlightenment on his face and Tony's just enraptured by it.

"Just a little more," he encourages.

As she pushes, Toni somehow makes small talk. "How long you two been married?" Tony takes a second to stare in amazement that she can focus enough to ask before she yells, "FUCK STARK ANSWER ME, god-damn-it."

"Jesus Christ woman, three years, he's been out of the ice for four."

"Nice," and she yells and squeezes her eyes shut and then Steve is grinning and yanking and there's crying oh shit, and Toni's limp and panting and looks a bit relieved.

And there's a baby girl in Steve's arms. And Tony can't look away because she looks like them and of course she would. Technically, she's their daughter too.

"It's a girl," Steve says reverently, grabbing the clean pair of scissors Other Steve had gotten them. Toni waves to Tony to cut the cord since Other Steve seems to be otherwise occupied, and as his Steve holds the wriggling, bloody, pink body, Tony snips the cord. He has no idea what he's doing. But he's doing it.

There's only a cheap blanket to wrap the baby in, and when Steve tries to hand her to Toni, the woman shakes her head and says, "Where's Steve?" Tony looks to his Steve, a worried look on his face, and he's honestly about to go out looking for the other man, but Toni shakes her head again. "Wait."

* * *

There's half an hour left before the next portal and the end of this world when Other Steve stumbles through the workshop doors. He's holding onto his middle and Tony thinks he's alright until he collapses onto the cot with his wife and moves his arm.

His entire middle is blood soaked, his rib-cage poking through. He looks almost sliced in half, like he was just holding on until he could be with his family.

Toni holds him close, presses against his blood soaked chest and sighs in content and it would be grotesque if it wasn't so sad. Tony looks to his Steve, who's still holding the baby. Shit. What to do, what to do?

"Um…" but Toni cuts Tony off.

"It's a girl," she says quietly, and Other Steve still has enough in him to smile softly.

"Beautiful," he says as Tony's Steve turns the small sleeping bundle to him. Then the man sighs and lies still. He's not dead, but he's getting there.

Toni holds back a sob then lets it free. "Take her," she pleads out of the blue.

Steve's eyes widen and Tony opens his mouth to say something. But she beats him to it. "Please, god, please. If not for me, Tony, for him," and she motions to Other Steve. And it says something about Tony's devotion to the other man that he would do anything for him, no matter the universe they happen to be in. "You'll live, we won't. Take her. She's yours after all."

It's heartbreaking, watching a woman give up her child to anyone, never mind another version of herself that can do what she can't: give her child a life. It's killing Tony and it's against everything he knows. He gives this version of himself a lot of credit for getting past what Howard did to her, because he can see in her eyes that that part was the same, got past it enough to have a child. He doesn't know if he can do the same.

Steve looks at Toni though, and Tony knows he can't deny either Steve this. "Please," Other Steve pants out wetly. Toni shushes him softly and he goes quiet.

"We're going to die and so is this world. Please," Toni asks again, this time appealing to Steve.

"I can't make a decision without him," Steve says softly, rocking the baby in his arms like it's almost natural and no. No. That's not what Steve's supposed to say. Steve's supposed to be the stronger one and say yes and shit. Shit. Tony has to say something. He can't be responsible for the death of his own child, no matter what universe she comes from.

That would just make him worse than Howard ever was.

"Yes, we'll take her," Tony says and he feels the minutes ticking by. "Don't you want to name her?" he asks, trying to cover up for his snapped out answer and Steve, Toni and Other Steve's slightly surprised faces.

But Toni shakes her head and just settles softly beside her dying husband. "She's not ours anymore," she says, like now that her baby is safe she can finally rest.

And then Tony sees the portal come up and his Steve is dragging him and the baby through, stopping for Tony's helmet and then there's a flash and that universe is gone, baby gone, and they're in the Avenger's Mansion and everyone is freaking out.

And Tony feels just a little bit hollow inside.

* * *

They get the nameless baby to SHIELD Medical and Tony and Steve change into civilian clothes and wait outside the little hospital room the baby is in. They clamp something over the tiny bit of cord over her belly-button and swaddle her up before sticking her into an incubator and getting her some formula. Steve goes in to feed her, but Tony just stares through the glass window between him and a family he isn't sure he can have, or deserve.

But he can't let Toni and Other Steve's deaths have been for nothing. They trusted them. Tony and his Steve had been their saviors. What would they have done had the baby been born and no one in the world could take her? What then?

Tony gets chills thinking of it.

And yet there's a part of him. Afraid that he'll be like Howard, while the rational part of him that sounds a lot like Steve says, 'Shut up and stop being an idiot. You're better than that.'

Tony likes to think so, thanks very much. So maybe he can do this and not screw it up. After all, you have to start small.

He walks into the room as Steve finishes up. They'd already debriefed with Coulson, who was talking to the higher ups. Steve smiles softly and puts the bottle down, leads him to the incubator where their daughter – and man that's a weird thought – is now sleeping.

"She needs a name," Steve says softly.

"Yeah," Tony says, swallowing past a lump in his throat, because that little thing is dependent on him with her life.

"I like Adele," Steve says. "For a middle name."

Tony decidedly doesn't make a quip about the singer. He figures it must be a 40's thing. Figures, that Steve still has a 40s New York state of mind.

And then the name rolls off his tongue, because he isn't thinking, not much, just going with the feeling, and Tony says, "I actually like Carmen."

And then Steve says, "Carmen Adele Rogers-Stark. I like it," and it's official and they're attached.

Which is why Tony punches the first agent who walks into their hospital room and says that she isn't theirs and that SHIELD is going to take her away.

Steve holds Tony back as Coulson does some damage control and then the other Avengers are called and Pepper is taking Tony aside and asking him what the hell his problem is. And what the hell? No. No, no, no. He's just starting to get used to the idea of a baby, his baby, his and Steve's baby and these assholes want to take her away?

Fuck that noise.

"She is ours, no one else is touching her," he says vehemently.

And Pepper's face softens, because she has a baby, a son, with Natasha and she can understand that look on his face, that desperation in his voice. Phil sees it, understand it too, because he and Clint have Francis and yeah. Yeah they're going to help Tony and Steve make this happen.

"Ok Stark. Rogers. You said she's yours?" Coulson says.

The junior agent butts in. "Look, she needs to go into the system. She has no guardians-"

"Is it not correct that her biological parents have a legal right to her?" Coulson snaps.

"Well, yes, of course, but-"

"Then run a paternity test," Steve says, deadly, cold and Tony is so grateful to have married him right now, no one could ever understand just how much.

"For both of you?" The agent looks scandalized.

He hops to attention though when Steve says, "Do. It."

And he does. Steve doesn't flinch as they take a vial of his blood. Tony doesn't look when they do it to him; he and needles have a bad track-record.

It's when they get the blood from Carmen's little foot that Tony almost punches someone again. She wails and cries and squirms and when it's done, Tony and Steve are by her side, Steve soothing her, Tony just resting a hand on her head. Her baby eyes lock on his reactor though, and she stares until she calms and falls asleep.

"That," Clint says when he walks in after helping to calm Phil down, "seems like it'll be useful."

"Where's your brat?" Tony asks.

Clint shrugs. "With Nat. She stuck behind with her own munchkin and Phil said Pepper was needed and I came for Phil. So."

Tony nods, walking out of the room and grabbing Clint by the arm. When they're in a secluded corner of the hall, he says, "How did you do it? How did you lock it all away?"

Clint get sit. He does. He's had daddy issues too. Brother issues. Role-model issues. So he gets it. "Being a parent is one of the hardest things you will ever do," he tells Tony truthfully. And holy shit. Holy shit, but that doesn't help.

"But," Clint continues, his face softening. "It will be worth every second of panic and confusion. Because to see that baby's face light up when they see you? To see them happy and safe because of you? To know that you won't let anything bad touch them, not if you can help it and to just know, just to know that you had a hand in raising that?" Clint shakes his head and yeah, marriage with a side helping of parenthood suits him. "That is all you're gonna remember when they're off in college or killing people for a living in the future."

And yes. Yes. That…

That actually helps.

* * *

The junior agent looks like he swallowed a lemon when he comes back in, hours later. Tony's already fed Carmen once and Steve another time because the nurses helped them write down a feeding schedule for her that she'll have to follow for the first few months.

He just hands them their results and a file folder and walks out and Phil and Clint shake their heads and tell everyone they're calling it a night. They probably just miss Francis. Pepper leaves too, expressing her desire to get back to Natasha and their son.

That's fine. Steve and Tony can take it from here.

The results say that both men are her father. Of course, the female chromosomes are accredited to Toni but she had the same DNA as Tony, since they are, in essence, the same damn person. Inside the file folder is one sheet of paper.

A birth certificate.

It's wonderful to be able to just write down all of their information. Someone has even kindly turned the 'mother' section into another 'father' one. Tony tries not to laugh at that as Steve asks him innocently if there are actually different versions of birth certificates.

Tony fills out his end. Steve fills out his own. And then they both fill out the baby's information. Carmen Adele Rogers-Stark is written down for her full name. They decide on Rogers-Stark instead of Stark-Rogers because, in Tony's words,

"Look, it just flows better, Steve."

"_Flows_? Tony, how can a name-"

"Shut up and write it down."

"_Fine_."

Then Tony laughs because of the date. "Steve. Steve she was born the day before 9/11." And yes, Coulson had the honorable misfortune of explaining that one to Steve, who only laughs because it is indeed September the tenth. And wouldn't you know, but Fate's got a fucking sense of humor.

And no. No it's not going to be easy. Not to raise a child, not to get used to the thought of being a parent, not to think that he's good enough and won't fail. It's going to be hard. But Tony has this weird feeling that he's going to be ok. After all, he won't be doing it alone.

And when they get home and there's a bassinet in their room with a congratulations note from Pepper pinned to the front, and Steve puts their swaddled up baby inside of it with a soft, loving, reverent look on his face, and Carmen yawns, her little pink mouth stretching out a bit, well…

Tony thinks he's just given a little piece of his hard to someone else and he feels little, baby fingers wrapping themselves tight around it.

And he figures he's ok with that.

* * *

**That is the first chappie. Hope you likey. And I mean, if Marvel is gonna give us an actual universe in which Steve and Tony are married, then fuck it, I'm utilizing that crap like fucking mad.**

**I also know jack shit about baby's and them being born and shit. So. Sorry for that.**

**Also: hospitals? What? Incubators? What? I DON'T KNOW I JUST THOUGHT IT SOUNDED OK. And also: birth certificates? What?**

**CREATIVE. LICENSE. That is all.**

**Reviews are always welcome and totally fucking encouraged. Thank you so much for giving this a shot. **


	2. No Children

**Second chapter. Carmen's about eight months in it. Mostly from Tony's POV until the end. **

**The Subject? Tony spends a day with just him and Carmen. Yay! Insight and self reflection and shit. Hope you like it.**

**Current Song: Dust Bowl Dance by Mumford and Sons**

**Current Thought: I am still going and it's 1:30 am. WHOO HOO.**

**ENJOY.**

* * *

**After The Storm Part Two**

"… _and night has always pushed up day. You must know life to see decay. But I won't rot. I won't rot. Not this mind and not this heart, I won't rot…"_

She's only been with them for eight months. And she's adorable. And totally changed their life around.

Tony's not really regretting saying yes to Toni all those months ago, mind you, it's just. Well. It's different. And he never said that was a bad thing, now did he?

No. So.

Steve's out today. He's at some debrief meeting about things Tony could care less about and he has baby-duty which he is totally thankful for because although Carmen can be trouble when she wants to be? She is a damn sweet baby. He has Steve's calm temperament to thank for that, he's sure, because when Tony was a baby? Please. He was hell on two legs, thank you very much, and he is damn proud of that.

He's been getting used to it, being a parent. Being a dad, and an ok one at that. There was one month where he drank once a week, got totally wasted and felt ashamed of it because he thought he couldn't do it, but Steve was a real rock during those times. So he'd made it through.

Now though, he trusts himself just a bit more than the beginning. And hell, that's a damn good start as far as he's concerned.

"Just me and you today kiddo," Tony says to the baby that's staring at him with cerulean eyes, just like Steve's. But she's got his dark hair curling from her head, and his snub nose and full mouth. But that's definitely Steve's ears and strong chin and she just seems to have gotten all the good features from each of them. She's an adorable baby.

Carmen smiles up to him on a second thought and he sees the little teeth popping up through her gums, senses her discomfort the second before it shows on her face and gets her a teething ring from the fridge. The second she starts to gnaw on it she's all smiles again, and Tony lifts her from her play-pen and brings her down with him to the workshop.

There's a play-pen in there for her as well, and when she's in the shop he doesn't do any big projects, mostly just corporate work for SI that Pepper assigns him once in a while. He makes toys for her mostly, or puts on some soft Aerosmith when she needs to go down for a nap and makes the holograms on his screens dance with colors to the beat of the song, lulling her to sleep.

Today though, Tony just thinks he's chill with her in his lap at a work bench, show her all the cool little tools he has, the safe ones at least. JARVIS will warn him if anything is off-limits. Which is another thing. JARVIS is amazing with her, knowing when she gets fussy in the middle of the night to project pictures of Tony and Steve on the ceiling about her crib because it calms her. Softly alerting Tony or Steve (because JARVIS keeps track of whose turn it is) at her awakeness or need of a diaper change or bottle. Hell, JARVIS had helped a whole lot on her feeding schedule when she was a newborn, alerting them whenever she needed a bottle. He's pretty awesome with her and is really fond of her as well.

Tony sits on a bench with his baby in his lap and he started by showing her little wrenches, moving on to a soldering iron that was not turned on until JARVIS gets too nervous and tells him he should put it away. The entire time Carmen has one hand on the teething ring in her mouth and the other one poling and prodding at the things Tony is letting her mess around with.

He pokes her sides a bit and she giggles and his chest feels tight because he's slowly coming to accept that she is his and the only person he really has to share her with is Steve and he doesn't mind that , not one bit, since he loves Steve just as much as he loves her.

And giving his love to this small little human being? Yeah. It's a big step for him. But he has a weird feeling that his heart is totally safe in those little, chubby, dimpled hands.

She makes a squeak of a noise, says, "Ppp," and an exaggerated 'p' sound. He's impressed. He's been teaching her to call him Poppa, and this is pretty good in his eyes. He'd started forming sentences at the age of one, of course, but Tony doesn't really expect that anything out of his baby. She can take her time, for all he cares. As long as she's safe? He can't give a flying fuck how old she is when she starts talking fully. He promises to himself and, silently, to her that he will never be what his father was to him.

Again. This is so much easier a promise to uphold because Steve is around.

And that is, of course, when Tony get s a whiff and yes. Yes. He has a diaper change. Tony sighs a bit because this will always be his least favorite part of everything he does with his daughter – and yeah, he can say it easier now. He just doesn't like changing shitty (quite literally) diapers.

Still. There's no Steve around to hand her off to and he kinda of doesn't want to hand his baby off to anyone because she deserves better than that in his opinion.

So up he goes, JARVIS telling him how many diapers are left and how many wet-wipe packages are left and Tony makes the decision and asks JARVIS to order them more, since she's starting to grow out of the diapers and they need more anyway. He thinks it's time to go half a size up. JARVIS agrees. Because you know, the AI/baby sitter needs to agree on these things too.

Tony gets to her nursery and lays her down on the changing table. Carmen grins up at him and tosses the teething ring at his forehead, which, ouch, that thing was semi-frozen so yes. Painful. He rolls his eyes and huffs, undoing her diaper and trying not to make a face. Carmen catches it anyway and laughs at the look on his face.

"You left Poppa a stinky. Good for you," Tony says, trying to be bland, but he can't keep the smile off of his face. He's never remembered smiling this much and sincerely meaning it. The only person who can do this to him other than the baby in front of him is his husband and Steve is quite good at it. It seems Carmen inherited that from her Daddy. Tony can't bring himself to complain.

He remembers the first time he changed a diaper, disgusted and embarrassed and scandalized. He's gotten used to it. Especially after getting baby crap on his hand that one time. Yeah. Nothing can faze him now, honestly. Her diaper leaked last week on his Dolce suit and he just sighed and told Pepper to get it to the cleaners, please and thank you.

Honestly, now it was just a matter of getting her to stop kicking or else she'd fall off the changing table and last time that had happened? Steve had had a conniption. Tony maintains that babies are resilient and that it wasn't his fault that their daughter had kicked him in the face. Steve doesn't like to talk about it. Whatever.

Tony changes her diaper in record time and decides it's time for an outfit change. She's been in leggings and a t-shirt all day but honestly, Tony doesn't think they're leaving the house at all today so. Lounge clothes it is. He changes her into a little AC/DC onsie and black socks and calls it a day as he picks her and her toy up and heads back downstairs with the shitty diaper safely tucked away into the trash-bin as he passes the kitchen.

Tony plays with her for the rest of the afternoon, stopping to feed her some mashed sweet potato and a bottle of milk. Carmen goes down for a nap around noon and Tony takes that time to shower properly, brush his teeth, wash his hair and make himself lunch. He checks in with Steve, sends him a picture of Carmen sleeping in the middle of their bed, drool all over the pillow that serves as Tony's and he smiles at her little face as he talks to his husband over the phone.

Carmen is up and about at three o'clock which means Tony has to once again entertain her. They sit in front of the TV and Tony puts up a live aquarium so she can walk over to the screen on unsteady feet and pat at the fish on the television gleefully, leaving little grubby fingerprints behind. Tony doesn't really mind the clean up. Instead, he gets JARVIS to film the one hour scene of her playing with virtual fish and he saves it to the TV so that Steve can watch it when he gets home later.

It's an ongoing tradition of theirs. If one of them isn't there to spend the day with her, the other films the high lights of Carmen's day and saves it for them to see when they get back. If they're both away, which doesn't happen often at all, another member of their team does it for them. Most of them get the whole family thing.

By the time Tony gets dinner into her it's already late and he heads to the bathroom to run her a quick bath. She still smells like brand new baby, fresh from the box, as he likes to joke to Steve, who usually rolls his eyes and pokes at Tony's side. Carmen splashes like a fiend, like it's a strategical way to get her Poppa soaking wet and irritated and it is, sure it is. Tony also ends up cracking up like a maniac at the faces she makes when she gets into it.

She's tried off and bundled into pajamas a few minutes after the bath water war and she's already starting to drift off. Tony carries her to the living room and snuggles onto the couch with her. It's a routine they have for when Steve isn't home. He cuddles down onto the couch and waits up for Steve with Carmen asleep on his chest so that the first thing Steve sees when he walks in is his daughter and his husband, and no matter how bad the day went, how can Steve be in a bad mood after being confronted with that?

It's easy to put her to sleep actually. She lays her head over his reactor over his shirt and falls asleep to the thrum of the reactor lulling her to sleep better than any other lullaby could. He used to panic over it, but now Tony just rubs her back and hums Stairway To Heaven under his breath until she's asleep. He loses himself like he does on occasion, falling asleep as well, but to the sound of his baby breathing in her sleep.

Steve walks in an hour later to the sight, Carmen with one hand fisted in Tony's shirt the other hand curled under her head. Tony's asleep in a similar position, one hand under his head, the other holding Carmen to him gently, cupped around her bottom so she doesn't slide of his chest. The only glow in the room is from Tony's chest and Steve couldn't stop the smile from coming to his face even if he wanted to.

He sits and watches the video from earlier that day and other clips JARVIS put together for him and then he lifts Carmen off of Tony and he knows the only reason Tony doesn't snap out of sleep is because his subconscious knows it's Steve. He moves the baby to her crib, kisses her forehead and asks JARVIS to watch her. JARVIS as always is more than glad to comply saying that Carmen keeps him company, gives him something to do during the night and he'd do it any time.

Steve returns for Tony, helps his sleepy husband into bed. He loves it when Tony's like this, wiped out from a day constantly at the baby's beck and call. He's easy to maneuver and best of all, he actually sleeps. It's wonderful.

They're in bed soon, and Steve has Tony spooned up to his chest, his arms around him, and he kisses the shell of Tony's ear. Because this is a lot nicer than they had originally thought it would be. And honestly? If Steve could go back and do it all again?

He wouldn't change one damn thing.

* * *

**No. I have no idea about baby teething. And I was walking at seven months, so it's totally doable if Carmen is walking at eight.**

**Reviews are much appreciated.**


	3. Strangeness and Charm

**And the next part is here.**

***grins***

**Anyone but me ever wonder if Steve passes his serum on to his offspring? Yeah. I was thinking about it too.**

**So.**

**BABY STRENGTH.**

***ahem* Enjoy.**

**Also: a snippet of Wally? Those who read Teenage Dirtbag know who I'm talking about and if you haven't read it, I suggest you do or else this series will make no sense to you.**

**Current Song: Just What I Needed by The Cars**

**Current Thought: WOW. Just- it's been a long day guys.**

* * *

**After The Storm Part 3**

"…_and I took you by the hand and we stood tall. And remembered our own land, what we lived for…"_

They start seeing the affects of the serum on Carmen by the time she hits four. She's mischievous and cunning and she's sensitive, so of course she's going to cry when she breaks a piece of DUM-E off accidentally when she's snuck into Tony's workshop to play with him.

Of course Tony's there in a second because when his baby starts to cry there's no way he's waiting any longer than a second to be by her side. He checks for boo-boos or ouchies but she's sobbing at the fact that she's broken a piece of DUM-E off.

Well then.

"Oh baby girl, DUM-E's fine, right buddy?" and the little robot makes an aborted sound and Tony shows Carmen it's all alright as he fixes DUM-E right in front of her. She's back to smiling again and running off to see Steve and Natasha in the gym where Tony's sure Dmitri and Francis are hanging out too.

So he writes it off as a freak accident. Because DUM-E's made of high grade steel that not even Tony can bend without the aid of the armor so how did his four year old daughter do it?

* * *

Until it happens again, this time when Carmen is with Steve. They're watching a movie while Tony's at a press conference for SI when Carmen nabs the remote to pause the movie, because yes, Steve is not ashamed to admit that his four year old knows how to control technology better than he does. So she pauses the movie and says, "Daddy, I have to potty," and then he nods to her acknowledging where she's going and she scampers off.

Damn kid's been toilet trained since she was one and a half. Proudest day of Steve's life being able to say that. Tony had just been excited to toss the last of the diapers away.

When Carmen comes back, blue eyes shining in delight – because they are watching WALL-E and she thinks that it's a story about DUM-E so – she grabs the remote again to restart the TV. But the room is dark, so she goes pressing buttons at random trying to find the play button. At some point, the TV goes off.

She's four. Of course she's going to throw a tantrum. Steve is expecting that.

He isn't expecting her to snap the remote control in half, stare at it, stare at him, then sob because she's probably hurt her hand and she just broke a high grade plastic remote control in half in her righteous, childish anger.

Carmen throws herself into Steve's arms when he opens them and he rubs her back in a comforting way and tells her that it's ok and no, she's not in trouble for breaking the remote and of course he'll turn WALL-E back on. Steve finds the spare controller and turns the movie back on, letting her cuddle up into his lap for the rest of the film. The entire time she's watching and clapping in enjoyment, Steve is worrying and counting down the seconds until Tony gets home, because that is just not normal.

* * *

"Tony?"

It's early the next morning and Carmen is in the living room eating scrambled eggs and watching old reruns of Dexter's Laboratory. Tony is shuffling for coffee and Steve wraps his husband's hands around the mug he's poured him and gestures to the seat in front of him.

"Ok. Go for it," Tony says once he's had two cups of coffee and looks a bit more human. "What's up?" Steve doesn't know how to phrase it, but then Tony sits up straighter and his face is shadowed in worry. "Shit, she did it again, didn't she?"

"What are you talking about?" Steve asks in surprise.

"She broke something heave duty with her little kid hands and you're freaking out. Shit. She did it to DUM-E in the lab. I thought she just pulled something that was loose, but no. She's all…" Tony waves a hand in the air. "Super strength-y."

Steve makes a face. "You don't suppose….?"

"Yes I suppose," Tony says. "This is me, supposing. Yes. Yes I think the serum has something to do with it. It changed your DNA, Steve. Of course it's going to get passed onto your daughter."

Neither of them say that it's not from _this_ Steve because they're past those arguments of this universe and that universe. It's the same DNA from the both of them no matter which universe you go to. They'd gotten over it pretty quick after they'd realized that little fact.

"So… do you, I don't know…" Steve can't think, can only focus on the innocent laughter in the next room.

"We can ask Bruce to run some tests," Tony says. "Check out her DNA, see if her blood tests positive for the serum," Tony suggest gently as he can. He wants to get to the bottom of this too.

Steve nods. "Yeah. Yeah we can do that." He smiles. "You know just want to say don't you?"

Tony shakes his head then ducks it. "Nah. Just seems like it to you."

That doesn't stop Steve from kissing him silly and Carmen squeals in innocent surprise as she walks in and giggles as they chase her into the living room, laughing.

* * *

Carmen cries when they take a sample of blood from her. Steve and Tony both wince because it's breaking their hearts, but Bruce doesn't even seem fazed. As Bruce loads up the sample and Steve soothes their daughter, Tony says, "So. Baby crying a lot?"

Betty's just has a baby, actually. Bruce had been so proud when she'd gotten pregnant, maybe even more proud than when they'd gotten married. But he'd gotten his shit together enough to get her pregnant and yeah. Yeah he had a baby boy now and he was damn proud too.

So.

"Yeah," he says with a yawn, running some of the sample through a machine and another part of it on a slide for a microscope. "S'ok though. Walter's getting better." And no, Tony will never forgive his best friend for naming his only son Walter. God. It was a horrible name. But. Whatever, not his kid, just his nephew. Clint and Jane had gotten the honor of god-parents and Tony wasn't bitter or anything. After all, Rhodey and Pepper were Carmen's god-parents.

"You'll live," Tony tells him, giving him a pat on the back. Tony sees Steve point to the door and nods. He's probably going upstairs to say hi to Betty and the baby, knowing it'll cheer Carmen up a bit. Tony just turns back to Bruce after blowing a kiss to Steve and waving goodbye to their daughter.

"So, we're looking for the serum in her – WHOA!" Bruce says, looking into the microscope. At the same time, the machine beeps erratically.

Tony punches a few buttons on said machine and turns to Bruce. "So? What the hell was that?"

"Holy… Tony, come look at this." And Bruce moves over and gestures to the microscope.

Tony looks through. He gasps a bit. On one side is Steve's blood, and there's a strange anomaly to it, making his cells strong and a slightly darker color than normal. The same anomaly is repeated in Carmen's cells, which means it's repeated in her genes, as well.

"So the machine did what?" Tony says, pulling back.

"It matched up the anomaly in her genes, not just her cells. Carmen's definitely got the serum in her." Bruce shrugs. "Not that bad a thing. Faster healing than normal, though not as fast as Steve because we have to factor in your normal genes. That'll take away from the potency of the serum."

"Hey!" Tony says with a laugh, pretending to be insulted. "My so-called 'normal' genes are what makes me a genius." He sticks his tongue out. "So there." Then he face-palms. "And yeah, sure. A bit faster on the healing. But she's breaking a lot of things. She doesn't know her own strength."

Bruce shrugs and says with a small smile. "Then _teach_ her it."

* * *

It turns out that they don't actually need to. Because, the thing is, Carmen starts to notice that there are things she either can't touch or has to be gentle with. And she's good at it too. At first, of course, she's a bit bummed that she can't rough house with DUM-E and U anymore, but then she learns that if she can control herself, then she can play just fine.

Of course, Steve and Tony are always reminding her what she can and cannot squeeze to death. Birds? No. Spiders? Yes , just don't let them bite you or you'll turn out like cousin Peter. That always gets her and Tony doesn't get it. What's not to like about Spider Man?

And it gets better with age of course, they're both sure. But until then? There will be many broken things whenever she has a tantrum. And somehow, Tony and Steve are totally fine with that.

* * *

**Slightly shorter than the other two. But that never hurt anybody. **

**The rest of the kids jump in on the next one. **

**WHOO-HOO.**

**And um... just in case you guys haven't caught on yet, these fuckers go in intervals of four. So. She's eight in the next installment.**

**Yuppers.**

**So... reviews anyone?**


	4. The Kids Are Alright

**YAY MORE!**

**This is like, all the kids. Ages are:**

**Dmitri and Francis (Demi and Frankie) are 9.**

**Carmen is 8.**

**Leif (Thor's kid) is 6.**

**James Jr. and Walter (Junior and Wally) are 4.**

**Voila. **

**Read up.**

**Current Song: Coming Home by City & Color**

**Current Thought: Well this is pleasant. More to come promise.**

**Happy reading!**

* * *

**After The Storm Part 4**

"…_and there will come a time, you'll see, with no more tears. And love will not break your heart, but dismiss your fears. Get over your hill and see what you find there, with grace in your heart and flowers in your hair…"  
_

The problem isn't that they _don't_ get along well. The problem is that they get along _too_ well.

No. Seriously. A bunch of children under the age of ten should not get along as well as the Avenger's offspring do, but there you have it. They act like they're actually blood related and well, they'd mind as well be for all the time they spend together. Hell, they all used to live together until Fury told them that they couldn't have that many kids running around the mansion, so then everyone sort of moved out when Carmen was 2 and it's been Steve, Tony and Carmen in the mansion since then with everyone else in their own homes or apartments.

Thank God. If all six of them were running around now? Yeah. Odin take the wheel. Hell, Odin take the whole god-damned vehicle.

Currently, they're at a Christmas party at the mansion, since it's the biggest living area out of them all. There's music, and only a little drinking and a whole lot of food. But it's strictly SHIELD personnel and Avengers with their spouses. And, of course, the kids.

Which, you know, are nowhere to be found.

No one panics though, because JARVIS informs them that they are all fine, thanks very much. And he bends to their collective will and pulls up the video feed from Carmen's playroom and the first thing Tony sees is his eight year old sprawled on the low cot between Francis and Dmitri. Sleeping.

The other kids are sprawled in a heap on the floor and no, Tony doesn't blame them. It's past midnight and they're all kids, for Christ's sake. No, that's not the weird part. The weird part is that everyone but Carmen is dressed up in ridiculous costumes. He's pretty sure some of them have make up on. Which is weird because Carmen's the only girl in the duo and she doesn't have make-up.

But Pepper looks closer, checks her and Natasha's bags. Betty checks hers. Jane check's hers. Rhodey's wife checks hers. They're all missing one thing or the other and Tony immediately suspects the nine year olds, Dmitri and Francis. They're parents are assassins; of course those kids are crafty.

But Tony has to know what had happened. So he asks, "JARVIS, do you have the footage of what went down in there?" He hears Clint snicker and Bruce is smiling like an idiot.

"Why sir," JARVIS says dryly, "I thought you'd never ask."

And then he switches over to a video feed. They all sit down. And they watch the show unravel.

* * *

It's no surprise that Carmen's behind it.

But, she maintains, this will be fun. This will be loads of fun. She loves to play dress up, loved going to her various aunts' and uncles' weddings over the years. Everyone else should think it's fun too, or else they aren't normal kids.

Sure she feels bad that they, technically, stole the make up from Peps and Auntie Tasha and Auntie Betty and Auntie Jane and Mrs. Rhodey. Yet she still maintains, it wasn't her, not really. Nope. It was Demi and Frankie and Demi took it from his Moms so really, it's not stealing if you're related.

So.

She ignores the fact that she snagged the video camera from her Poppa and Daddy's room. They weren't using it at the moment, so she was fine. She could work it. She's smarter than she looks.

"Why do _I _have to wear the dress?" Demi asks a bit confused. He's in her flower-girl dress from Uncle Rhodey's wedding when she was three. It fits him, although it's a bit tight and it's not laced up or anything. He's a thin kid, a bean-pole as her Poppa says.

She sighs as Wally picks his nose and Junior pulls uncomfortably at one of her Poppa's ties. Leif is just sitting on the floor in an over-sized blazer, the six year old staring in fascination at the two 4 year olds beside him. Carmen sighs. Why can't they all just appreciate her genius?

"Because," she says impatiently. "You're the bride."

"But he's not a lady," Frankie points out, all in black, wearing one of her Daddy's suit coats. She isn't going to risk nabbing one of her Poppa's Verace ones. Contrary to popular belief, Carmen does not have a death wish.

"So?" Carmen says with an eye roll. Frankie thinks she looks a bit like Uncle Tony when she does that. "Uncle Phil and Uncle Clint got married and they're boys?"

Frankie gives a shrug at the mention of his parents. "Yeah, but my Poppa and Daddy wore suits when they got married. I saw the pictures." And it sounds more like 'pitchers' when he says it, but Carmen has enough class not to point it out.

She waves a hand and points to the video camera in her hand. "Yeah, but we need distinction." And Frankie and Demi and heck, all the kids look at her in confusion and she has to remember that they all don't have a high school level vocabulary like she does. So she gives a dainty sigh and says, "We need to be able to tell the difference between you guys. Just wear the dress, Demi. I think white is your color."

No. No she doesn't. Dmitri looks better in green, because it makes his eyes pop and his hair look more red. Right now? He looks like a carrot cake turned human. Again, Carmen has enough class not to say this. Her Daddy taught her manners and her Poppa taught her to laugh when someone's back is turned. She's trying to do both. But later on that.

"I just wanna make a movie," she says.

Demi glares a bit, and yeah. Yeah he definitely learned that from Aunt Tasha. "You put my Momma's lipstick on me."

"Be glad it wasn't your Mommy's," Frankie says with a laugh. Carmen agrees. Peps's lipstick is too bright for Demi's skin tone.

"Shuddup," Carmen finally says. "Leif, Wally, Junior. Get in your places. Just like we did last time." Because this is the fifth time they stopped for one of the two lead boys to complain. First Frankie said his bowtie was crooked and Demi had responded that the bowtie was stupid and Frankie had argued with 'Bowties are cool.' Then Demi's lipstick smudged. Then Frankie was too hot. Then Frankie had asked why he and Demi had to be the bride and groom, why couldn't Carmen do it with him?

And Carmen had said, "Eeww. No. At least you and Demi like each other like that." And Frankie had shut up while Dmitri looked at her, unimpressed.

And then, finally, Demi had asked why he had to wear the dress.

So. Back to the point.

Leif rushes in behind the two, so that he's standing in the little space between them and back a bit. He's in black too, but he has a white head band loose around his neck. Obviously, Carmen thinks, he's a priest. How does one _not_ see that?

Junior and Wally toddle their way over to Demi and Frankie. Junior stands on Demi's side. Wally stands on Frankie's side. The best man and man of honor, Carmen reasons. Isn't that how it was at Aunt Tasha and Peps's wedding? Oh well. This'll do.

"Ok. Now. Your lines. Just like I said _before_," Carmen says, pressing record on the video camera and standing back a bit so she catches everyone.

It's going great. Leif says, "Do you, Demi, and take him,"cue pointing at a bored looking Francis," as your hubsand?" And no. No, that's not how you say it, but Leif is really having trouble with that word and they'd already omitted 'lawfully' and 'wedded' because the six year old couldn't say them right. So this'll have to do.

Dutifully, Demi says, "I do." He only tugs at his dress a little with the hand not occupied by a bouquet of plastic flowers from the vase down the hall.

"Great!" Leif says excitedly and Junior and Wally aren't even looking at the camera. In their defense, they're only four. They don't have that kind of attention span. So it's alright. Leif is into it though, and that'll always make Carmen smile. He turns to Frankie and says, "How about you? Do you, Frankie, take him," and then he double takes, "her, I mean…um…" He looks at Carmen in a panic and she shrugs. Whichever will do. "Do you take Demi as your wi-hus- um, partner?"

And sheesh, Leif gets an extra cookie when they make their way downstairs for presents because that was tactful right there. He smiles at Carmen and she gives him a thumbs up and wobbly trains the camera on Frankie for his answer.

Which is when it starts to go not so great. Because Frankie gives a dramatic sigh and says, "I guess so."

And then Demi plants a hand on his hip and waves with the bouquet while saying, "Well what's so wrong with marrying me? Huh?"

Frankie puts his hands up. "That's it. I dunno how I'm 'sposed to marry you if you're always gonna be so sensitive."

And well, no. No that is not in her script, but Carmen keeps filming and shrugs at the three younger boys and whispers, "Just go with it."

So they do.

Leif steps back dramatically and says, "Hey you two. You're 'sposed to already a' had this conbersashun." He cannot speak. Carmen will be good and not tease him. He's _young_.

"Well maybe I don't wanna marry you!" Frankie says, loosening his tie and sticking his tongue out.

Demi looks hurt and then angry as he says, "Maybe _I _don't wanna marry _you_!"

Frankie yells, "I said it first!" and Demi starts to hit him on the head with his bouquet. Wally and Junior start to giggle at that and don't even care when Leif admonishes them. They keep laughing and heck, Carmen is laughing because this is better than she had imagined.

And then Leif makes it legendary when he says, "STOP IT!" Ok. He bellows. He's like his dad in that way; can't say anything, but he can bellow. Frankie and Demi turn to him and glare then stare at each other. They're best friends, they aren't fooling anyone. But that's not the best part. Leif makes sure they're looking at each other when he yells, "NOW KISS!" and smashes their faces into each other. They bounce off each other and Demi flies into Junior while Frankie flies into Wally. They're shocked. Leif looks too pleased.

And Carmen got it all on tape. _Awesome_.

Until the boys start to act like boys and Demi steps out of the dress and tackles Frankie with a scream, only in underwear. He still has the bouquet and it beating the other boy on the head, trying to brain him and yelling, "I will _never_ marry you, you meanie!" Frankie is stuck between laughing and tickling the other boy.

And then Leif starts to laugh and the two boys stop and attack him and then Wally and Junior try to go to the rescue and end up making the melee worse and then they attack Carmen as they realize this was all her idea and she has to drop the camera and run for her life, because no. She refuses to get tackled by five other boys.

It turns into a giant fight until they all start to get tired and start dropping like rocks. Wally and Junior crawl away and rub their eyes, falling asleep on the carpeted floor. Leif sleeps curled around their heads, almost a protector to the two of them. It's cute really.

Frankie and Demi battle each other for the cot until they realize that they both fit and snuggle down beside each other, the covers all tangled, Frankie in a large shirt and tie and Demi in underwear with make-up smudged across his face. Carmen hops up onto the cot and squirms her way between them, ignoring their grunted complaints. When she's comfortable, they each throw an arm over her middle and snuggle close before falling asleep.

All thoughts of the camera, which catches the entire ordeal, are out of their minds. And everyone is dead asleep in minutes.

JARVIS simply dims the lights a bit and alerts their parents of their safety. Then he shows them the security footage.

* * *

Everyone is in hysterics by the end of it and they all agree to stay the night. As they head to their respective guest rooms, each parent duo pops into the toy room to check on their munchkins. Leif, Junior and Wally are moved to a guest room, the three little boys sharing a bed since they're all small enough. Frankie, Demi and Carmen are settled more comfortably on the play-room cot and the lipstick is wiped from Demi's face, the tie taken off of Frankie. Carmen is settled more comfortably between them.

Tony kisses her forehead and Steve does the same, right before they head to bed.

As they get ready, Steve has the nerve to say, "You know why I don't worry about her hanging out with the boys like that?"

"Which boys? Like all of them or just like, Dmitri and Francis?" Because Carmen, Dmitri and Francis are the closest of the six kids.

"Dmitri and Francis."

And huh, well, Tony has to hear this now. He sits on the edge of the bed and watches Steve change for bed as he asks, "Ok. Why not? I gotta hear this one."

"Because it seems like Carmen has the same intuition as me. Those two like each other."

Tony blinks. "Wait, Barton and Romanov's kids like each other?"

Steve stares at him. "Yes."

"No."

"Tony, yes." And Steve laughs.

"Steve, they're nine."

"And? So what?" Steve looks at him expectantly and Tony just shakes his head.

"We will see," Tony says and Steve climbs into bed beside him, pulling him closer to his chest, encircling his arms around Tony's waist.

"Aren't you the one that told me they were in love with me when they were nine?" Steve teases and Tony groans and buries his face in Steve's neck.

"I was nine and Captain America was my hero. Shut up, Steven. You promised you wouldn't bring that up."

"I said I wouldn't bring it up in public. This is just us," Steve points out, dropping a kiss to his forehead.

"Always finding the loopholes, huh?" Tony quips.

Steve just shushes him and lulls Tony to sleep with his heartbeat.

* * *

**Nice? I thought it was cute to write. ANYWAY.**

**She's 12 in the next one. So. We're getting older, yes. And getting closer to Teenage Dirtbag on the time line. But that's just automatically what happens after I write about her when she's 16. **

**Anyway, for all of you thinking, ok, she has a conscience like Steve, she's sneaky like Tony, she's strong like Steve... will she ever be as smart as Tony? **

**Why yes. Thank you for asking. She will be. In the next chapter. Read on to find out!**

**Reviews are always totally welcome. Criticism too. Or even what you want to see in the other kids's stories because all six of them get their own eight chapter stories before they come together in one story.**

**So.**

**Enjoy and peace out for now! **


	5. Show Me What I'm Looking For

**YAY MORE. **

**Here is the next chapter where her genius shows. So. Yeah.**

**Current Song: Awesomely, the song that this whole story is named after just came on. So. **

**After The Storm by Mumford and Sons**

**Current Thought: That's it for tonight guys.**

**Enjoy.**

* * *

**After The Storm Part 5**

"…_and now I cling to what I knew. I saw exactly what was true. But oh no more. That's why I hold,__that's why I hold with all I have.__That's why I hold…."  
_

Carmen is smart. Tony and Steve have never said any different. She's Tony smart, is the thing, so they don't understand why she hasn't asked them to put her in different classes, to do something more challenging. If they had asked, Carmen would have told them that she's already different because she has two dads instead of one, no mom, and both her parents are superheroes. She doesn't want to be that different. She wants to have friends thank you very much.

But she's 12. She's only been moved up to a freshman high school class. And she's sick of the stupidity. And she's sick of getting picked on and not saying anything.

So when she walks into the house trying to hide tears, Tony and Steve are on that like white on rice and it's not pretty when they finally sit her down.

She's dressed in jeans and a Batman t-shirt, a zip-up hoodie thrown over that. She's wearing converse and has to push her glasses up her nose because they keep sliding down. Her dark hair is short and wavy around her ears and her bright blue eyes peek out behind the glass of her lenses. She's adorable and looks like the poster child for Gamers Anonymous and Tony couldn't care less about that last part. His baby is perfect.

They're in the kitchen, and he puts his tablet down. He's been working out the math to some upgrades for the armor and Carmen snags the tablet, finishes the math up for him and says, "You dropped a variable," before giving it back with a sigh.

Yeah. Tony hadn't even been that smart at her age. She needs to get out with it.

"What happened?" Steve asks gently, setting down a turkey sandwich in front of her, and it's sad that Steve knows that both his daughter and Tony are easier to talk to when you give them caffeine or food.

Carmen picks up the sandwich and devours it while talking. "I'm sick of those idiots," she says truthfully. "They… they're bullies. They think I'm stupid."

"Well why would they think that?" Tony asks.

"Because I don't do anything in class!" she exclaims and Tony wipes at his face because yes, that _was_ a piece of lettuce she just spit out at him. Gross. She just ignores him and continues on though. "I try not to be all smart and in their faces but today, no. No, I couldn't do it anymore. I'm sick of it." And Tony can see her practically swallowing back her tears. "They are horrible people. So I got up and left in the middle of my math class, walked into the seniors AP Physics class and showed them how to make a thermonuclear reactor with a little bulb on the end so the waste won't drip around everywhere."

Tony wants to smack himself in the forehead, but Steve does it for the both of them and says calmly, "Did you get into trouble?"

She grunts now, a small, self-satisfied smile on her face. "Nope. I got praise, and it was about freaking time." Steve sends her a look to be mindful of her language. She shrugs. "I also told them I wouldn't be back at the end of the day. And I'm _not_."

Steve looks to Tony in a panic. He doesn't know what to do. She needs schooling, but she needs better schooling, schooling that's at her level. The rest of it is a joke, Tony knows it is for her. He remembers feeling like that, and all Howard did was send him to MIT. Which, he concedes, may be what Carmen wants.

"Ok. You have a couple of options. Option one is college. I have plenty of contacts at MIT who would love to have you, seeing that you're such a smarty pants like your Pops," Tony says, but Carmen immediately makes a face at him.

"Um, no."

"Why not?" Steve asks. "That sounds like a good opportunity."

"I don't want to leave New York!" she exclaims, a frightened expression on her face. "And you guys need to be here…" And she'd be alone. Tony wants to smack both himself and Steve and Steve looks like he just realized he was actually thinking of sending their 12 year old all the way to Massachusetts. Alone.

Ok. Yeah. They're both idiots.

"Ok. Option number two then. I have a bunch of old professors that I'm still in touch with. They're all retired. I can hire them to… tutor you, I guess you could say. You could be home schooled by a bunch of old smart guys."

Carmen seems to warm up to this idea a lot faster. "At home? They'll come down here?"

Tony nods. He's thinking up numbers, sums and payments. Yeah. They could do this. "Yup. I can find them some housing, seeing as SI just opened out a complex. I'll offer them free housing and a pretty nice salary for as long as you need them." He shrugs and Steve is already smiling.

"Yeah," Carmen says, and she looks like she's not going to cry anymore, so that's always a plus in Tony's book. "Ok. Let's do that."

"Wonderful," Steve says with a grin.

"Now," Tony says seriously, cracking his knuckles and leaning across the table to face his daughter and get closer. "Whose ass am I kicking? Remind me who called you stupid again?"

* * *

Steve is in town with Pepper and Phil so Tony's a bit surprised to hear voices coming from the sitting room when he walks into the house. Well, mansion. Whatever. Living space.

And then he realizes he recognizes those voices, but there are three of them that he hasn't heard in years and that's when he knows that the tutors are here.

Tony walks in on three of his old professors gaping in awe at his 12 year old daughter who's scribbling on a large white board. She likes the white boards better than the holographic ones he prefers, but that just shows that she's old school like her Dad.

"Hi Poppa," she says, and Tony didn't even notice he had spaced out.

"Hey there munchkin. What'er you up to?" and Tony sits down on the only spare seat in the room. Carmen's moved everything around, and that's fine. So long as she moves it back. Because Tony is definitely not cleaning up her mess.

"Anthony," his old engineering professor says, and yeah. They all only called him by his full name back in the day, but now he realizes that they were using it as a term of respect because he was one smart fifteen year old. "She's smarter than you were when you came to us!"

Tony laughs because yes, yes she fucking _is_ smarter than him than when he was that age. Seems Steve comes from the smart peoples as well and it only added to his genius genes. And no, Tony is not jealous. Hell, he's proud as fuck that his baby will one day be considered a genius among the geniuses and their genius community. She's that smart. And these two men and one woman will help shape her into that.

Speaking of which, Dr. Medeiros, his only female teacher, a physicist, smiles and says, "Truly Anthony. She's brilliant!" Her heavy Brazilian accent doesn't take away from the awe in her voice.

Carmen is back to an in-depth discussion with his theory professor, pointing at the equations on the board. They're having a comfortable back and forth and yeah, his baby is smart.

Which is exactly when Steve walks in. He's laughing, which means that Phil probably cracked a dry joke before he and Pepper dropped Steve off, but the sound is cut off when he takes in the strangers in his house. Tony jumps to his feet and smiles at Steve, relaxing the other man immediately. He'll never get over the fact that he, out of all people, can best relax Steve. It's a great feeling.

"Dr. Medeiros, Dr. Kleine and Dr. Graycen, this is my husband, Steve Rogers. Steve, these are the smart people that are going to teach our daughter how to science," Tony says eloquently.

Steve laughs softly, a lot more honest than is probably appropriate for the company they're keeping at the moment, but Carmen smiles and nods to the Dr. Graycen, the theory professor. Dr. Kleine, the professor that had made the first comment, the engineering professor, nods and stands up to shake Steve's hand. Steve makes sure to keep his introduction quick and polite so as not to take the spotlight from their brilliant daughter and have it put on Captain America. Steve is great that way. Tony loves him all the more for it.

* * *

Tony excuses himself just as Steve does and he trusts his daughter with those people. They were the ones that kept him sane during his years in MIT. He can trust them to do the same for his kid.

"So," Steve says, a bit exited, Tony can see that. "They're all brilliant, aren't they?"

Tony nods. "They've discovered, invented or contributed to something huge at least twice in their lives. So yes. Brilliant."

Steve laughs a bit more breathless. "She looks so happy," he says and yeah. Carmen looks happier in that room with people almost sixty years her senior than she has in a long time, especially with people her age that aren't part of their wacked out family.

"That's an awesome thing," Tony says. "Because I only do awesome things." He pauses to see Steve smile and then says, "Like you. I do you and you're awesome."

"Tony!" Steve says, almost scandalized, not even blushing because they've been married for 15. He just doesn't blush anymore.

Tony shrugs. "Just as long as the Profs don't hear me…"

Steve shakes his head and wraps his arms around Tony. "I heard them calling you Anthony."

"Don't you start getting any ideas," Tony says, wrapping his own arms around Steve's neck, his wrists resting over each other.

"Can I call you that, Anthony?" Steve asks anyway.

"Steven," Tony says warningly, and Steve laughs.

Tony has to smother him in kisses to get him to shut up. But shut up he does.

* * *

**So... yeah. The next chapter is gonna be super long because it actually has plot. For those of you who still haven't read Teenage Dirtbag, I recommend that you should. Not just because I'm shamelessly promoting it, but because there's a part in the end that's important. **

**Carmen is seventeen and she has an arc reactor in her chest. Now, she mentions that something happened to her in the summer she turned sixteen. That is important so important because the next part is when that happens. It's plotty and awesome and dark and her past universe comes to bite her in the ass and everyone's worst nightmare happens. So. **

**That ones gonna take a bit to write. That's why I worked on the first five chapters for you guys to have something to read until then.**

**Ok. Reviews are welcome, again. Thanks so much!**


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